Internet of Things: a difficult world

The Internet of Things is the logical extension of today's interconnected society, but creating such a network requires a number of technologies; telecommunications operators need to open their networks; The government needs to find a way to allocate separate numbers for each device on the network; new rules are needed to protect security and privacy. In short, the tools that make it a reality lag behind, although the idea is already quite mature.

To outline what still needs to be done, and to provide the Government with a framework for understanding how 50 billion devices will interconnect within the next 8 years, http://www.aliyun.com/zixun/aggregation/39374.html "> The World Economic Cooperation Organisation (OECD) has published a report that points to the needs of the Machine-to-machine network and the trade-offs between technologies. While it is more directly focused on the usefulness of its work, there are some interesting user stories. As ever, the report starts with the Web.

Internet

The OECD classifies the requirements according to the type and function of the equipment, basically dividing the devices into mobile, and then classifying them by the distance they move. In fact, we have limited options for highly mobile devices running around the US, but 8200.html "> Mobile phones may be the best way." For home fixtures, wire or Wi-Fi can offer attractive options. However, as each technique is compromised, the tradeoff is magnified if you are considering the connectivity of a product designed for global use.

For example, mobile phone technology has its drawbacks, because 2G networks are quite common, but are being phased out, and the life of connecting devices can be as long as decades (think about how long your fridge or bike can take). However, 3G networks are not ubiquitous, which means that there will always be connections in some places. LTE and 4G may seem like a good solution for the longest time available, but now the wireless side is very power hungry and the ground network is weak.

The role of the wholesaler

The enterprise is not without the idea of connecting the pool of stakeholders, but it is reported that there are a number of obstacles in the access to the wholesale market. One of the hurdles is how devices on the Internet should be identified. From the IP address to the personal cell phone number, there are various means to authenticate the device on the network. But there is no one way to identify that applies to everyone.

In some cases, the Government will only allow telecommunications providers to provide these identification numbers, which means that only they can provide Internet communication for things. The OECD believes this will lead to high prices and limit markets. Then the government will have to play its part in the process of establishing a viable system. The report says:

for many IoT applications, access to a uniquely identifiable identity is another important requirement. The model provided by the SIM card (mobile phone user identification card) appears to have strong flexibility and possibilities. There are other ways to provide security, but soldering the SIM card to the motherboard or integrating it into the chipset appears to be a cost-effective means of providing security. As regulators play an important role in allocating the SIM number (or ESN), they will have to assume the role in the future of the Internet of things.

The role of regulators

The report calls for a rethink of the regulatory environment at a time when a new era of communication between human, machine and backend computing data is being built on the basis of IP networks. Ironically, after more than 10 years of widespread IP communications, the government began to discuss how the situation would change the form of legislation and law enforcement. Of course, the retreat of legislation and regulation is nothing new, but the OECD report is a good first step in understanding the next looming legislative regulatory battle.

(Responsible editor: Lu Guang)